Grain sorter or separator.



' No. 741,616; I PATENTBD OCT. 2Q, 1903.

F. L. BLOCK. "GRAIN SORTER OR SEPABATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1903.

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GRAIN SORTER 0R SEPA-RATOR' Arm-influx rum). MAY 5,.1

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eRA|N'-soRT1-: OPRSE'PARATZOR.

srnoIFIoATfoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,616, dated October 20, 1903.

. Application filed m 5.1903. Serial Nb. 155,743. (Nomad) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, FRANCIS L. BLooK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sidney, in the county of Ohampaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Grain Sorters or Separators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a novel. grain sorter or separator, and has for its primaryv object the provision of adjustable instrumentalities upon which an indiscriminate supply of grain may be deposited and worked, so that all grain approximating'a predetermined size in the larger number of seed-planting ma-.

chines at present being marketed, especially those types involving the use of a seed-slide, the openings in the slide through which the corn or other grain falls from the carrying-receptacle are of a standard or uniform size. Consequently it is desirable that the grain utilized for thepurposes designated be also of a substantially uniform grade or size, so as to freely pass through the said openings in the slide, thereby preventing clogging of the machine and facilitating regularity in the feed therefrom. r v

With the above-mentioned ends in View the invention contemplates a separator provided with a slatted bottom, the slats or bars of which are separated at a normal distance apart to permit the corner seed to pass therebetween and in'strumentalities associated with said slatted bottom for adjusting the slats to cause them to approach each other or recede, as the case may be, to regulate the distance therebetween, to control the grade or size of grain which may pass therethrough, and preferably, but not necessarily, means for locking the slats or bars in adjusted position.

Novel characteristics of the several parts and of the construction and arrangement thereof will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof,wherein a preferable embodiment of the invention is illustrared for the purpose of enabling a clear understanding of the same. It is,.however, to be understood that in any future-interpretation as to the scope of the present invention the same is by no means to be limited to the specific details'of the construction described herein, except in so far' as any such details may be included in the appended claims, because it is obvious that minor changes and alterations may bemade without in the least departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

In thedrawings, Figurel is a perspective view of the separator. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view, the mode of adjusting the slats or bars being indicated indotted lines; and

Figs. 4: and 5 are detail views.

Referring more specifically to the d rawings, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views, 1} represents the side walls, and B the end walls, of a receptacle adapted to receive the corn or seed to be separated. The" bottom of the receptacle is formed of aseries of slats or bars C, arranged longitudinally of the receptacle and in parallel.planes,said bars being normally separatedto form intervening spaces 0 for the passage of corn of the proper size through the bottom, whereby the same may become separated from the bulk. The sides of the upper portion of each of the slats are beveled, as shown, to form substantially V- ,shaped channels 0', opening to the spaces 0 and'serving as elongated hoppers o'r guides for directing the corn tothe spaces 0. The slats or bars are supported'in place by crossrods b, located beneath the same and rigidly secured to the ends B, said rods being spaced from the ends sufficiently to permitfree movementof the bottom slats in the spaces formed between the upper-surface of the rods and the lower edge of the ends. The slats are also of a length considerably greater than the length of the receptacle, so that the same mayv pros.

ject without the end of the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 1, in which figure the parts are in normal position, with the widest possible spaces cbetween the slats, for the purpose to be hereinafter pointed out.

one side are extended outwardly beyond the adjoining side A and are connected by the ICO The ends B at longitudinal beam D, also for a purpose as will hereinafter more fully appear. The slats of the bottom are connected at difierent points by transverse bars or slats E E, each slat C being pivotally secured to each transverse bar or slat through the medium of pins 6, the slat E being in turn pivoted at its inner end to the lower edge of the side Aand free at its outer end, so as to be shifted into alinement with any one of the series of apertures d passing through the beam D, said free end being also provided with an aperture d, adapted to register with the apertures d to permit the insertion of a locking-pin F.

To adjust the bottom, it is simply necessary to remove the locking pin F and shift the bar E upon its pivot in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, said bar being extended to constitute an operating-lever, which will in turn carry the slats longitudinally of the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 3, and owing to the pivotal relation between the several parts said slats will haveacompound movement-thatis,both longitudinally and laterally-relative to the receptacle, which will cause the slats to approach and correspondingly reduce the spaces between the same to the desired extent to regulate the fall of corn therethrough. A reverse movement of the lever-bar E will cause the slats to separate and increase the spaces therebetween. Of course the same result may be attained by manipulating the projecting ends of the slats O. The innermost slats U are arranged adjacent to the side A of the receptacle, while the outer slats are free to move beneath the side A and inside the beam D, whereby the bottom has an adequate range of movement.

It is desirable that some means be provided for preventing the escape of the corn from the ends of the receptacle through the V- shaped channels formed by beveling the sides of the slats C, and for this purpose serrated plates G are slidably secured upon the inner face of the ends B of the receptacle, so that the teeth g of the plates may be projected into said V-shaped channels. The plates are preferably secured in place by pins g, passing through slots g in the plates. The slotand-pin connection is to permit a longitudinal movement of the plates to accord with the adjustment of the bottom slats. The sides A A are cut away, as at G, so as to present no obstruction to the shifting of the plates.

In lieu of the plates G other closing devices may be employedas, for instance, that shown in Figs. 4 and 5-in which instance the device com prises a U -shaped flexible member, the ends 1 of which are adapted to embrace the sides of the ends 13, and the connecting portion t" of which is V-shaped in cross-section, so as to fit the channels, the

flexibility of the material of which the device is composed permitting the same to yield to the right and left, Fig. 4, when the slats of the bottom are shifted.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A separator comprising a receptacle, a slatted bottom therefor, the slats of the bottom being beveled along their upper edges and arranged in parallel planes to form approximately V shaped channels therebetween, means whereby the bottom may be adjusted to regulate the spaces between the slats thereof, and shiftable means for closing the spaces between the slats at the ends of the receptacle.

2. A separator comprising a receptacle, a slatted bottom therefor, the slats of the bottom being beveled along their upper edges and arranged in parallel planes to form approximately V shaped channels therebetween, means whereby the bottom may be adjusted to regulate the spaces between the slats thereof, and means for closing the spaces between the slats at the ends of the receptacle, said means being adjustable according to the movement of the slats.

3. A separator comprising a receptacle, a slatted bottom therefor, means wherebysaid bottom may be adjusted to regulate the spaces between the slats thereof, and shiftable means for closing the spaces between the slats at one end of the receptacle.

4;. A separator comprising a receptacle, a slatted bottom therefor, means whereby said bottom may be adjusted to regulate the spaces between the slats thereof, and means for closing the excessive space between the slats at one end of the receptacle, said means being adjustable according to the movement of the slats.

5. A separator comprising a receptacle, a slatted bottom therefor, and means whereby said slats may be given a compound movement longitudinally and transversely of the receptacle to regulate the spaces between the slats, one side and both ends of the receptacle being open to permit the protrusion of some of the outside slats and the ends of the slats.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS L. BLOCK.

Witnesses:

FELIX B. TAIT, F. R. GooDE. 

